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Translational Leadership in the 21st Century

Translational leadership is a new buzz word spiraling around the playing fields of virtually every industry today. It’s loosely defined as one adept at connecting, mediating, teaching, behavioral economy and social engineering. They demonstrate an uncanny ability to knit together different constituencies and institutions, brokering relationships and transactions across different levels of political, economic and social organization. Perhaps a ‘harmonist’ might even be a better term.

What does that mean and how might we engage this concept as individuals who wish to contribute to developing a better world? People are the greatest resource. Most folks are so busy with their localized environment on a daily basis that even if they are engaged in a process or product that could change the world, they don’t have time to look up let alone look around them. These are the ones whose dedication and drive produce breakthroughs. Translational leaders would, by definition, be able to recognize and further expand their work through their connections with like-minded or complementary resources. The effectiveness of their work could indeed go from local to global in a relatively short time.

Those same dedicated individuals and/or groups also have strained communications at times. Not everyone listens or speaks with the same understanding and conflict arises. Translational leadership recognizes the diversity in a group, sometimes even between two individuals and is not only capable of commanding respect, they are adept at mediating and mitigating the potential problems. Issue resolution becomes another hat, a bit different than DeBono, and is a tool often used in the process of mission and vision fulfillment. These negotiators do their work with style and grace, stepping in when and where needed without restraint.

Setting an example for others is a primary component of translational leaders, teaching those around them by showing how the work is done. Most translational leaders are adept at engaging those around them by drawing upon personal inspiration and motivation to do their best. Translational leaders know they are responsible for the morale and tone of the working environment and act to ensure the voices of all are heard and recognized as valid. Everyone is part of the process, whatever it may be, and the lessons of developing effective communication result in performance excellence.

Behavioral economy is a relatively new term as well. The study of behavioral economics includes how market decisions are made and the mechanisms that drive public choice. A translational leader knows how to leverage the motivations of the personalities in their environment to engage better results. There is a kind of social currency involved here, where heightened individual influence weighs heavily on the outcome of the choices and decisions of the company, group or organization. It is usually a good thing when ideals, like the ISO 26000 Social Responsibility Standards, are in place.

Social engineering precepts are based on cognitive biases, specific attributes of human decision-making processes. In the purest sense it is the manipulation of those cognitive biases to produce specific choices and responses. Translational leaders use this technique as a facilitation technique to guide their teams to decisions that are in alignment with best practices for collaborative functionality, for instance. Of course the powerfully persuasive techniques can be used for less than beneficial results, but the ethical practices of the translational leaders are usually such that they will rise above petty temptations to use their power for personal gain at the expense of others.

As we move forward into the 21st Century there are obvious constraints and problems we face as a human race and planetary civilization. Our technology has surpassed the capacity for massive destruction. Our air, land and water have been polluted nearly beyond repair, yet we are resilient and can turn the tide of despair to a new destiny of repair through the efforts of these translational leaders. We can focus on fixing the world’s greatest problems and develop solutions that will benefit humankind when we learn how to get along better; a key feature of the translational leader’s guidance.

How can we assist these new leaders. Look for them. They may be anywhere and functional in the informal networks that develop within organizations. Promote them and offer your allegiance to those who prove worthy. Our world is changing rapidly and we need the best folks for the job in place so that we create sustainable relationships with present and future conditions.

Future thought… Adhocracy is a primarily structureless organization used to solve various problems. It is a type of organization that operates in opposite fashion to a bureaucracy. Would this type of organization be conducive to the translational leaders? Would the concept of ‘harmony’ be appropriate when considering the nature of facilitating people, places and things to do stuff?

A New World Order –

Harmony among People and Planet in Our Lifetime

The phrase ‘new world order’ creates concern in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Why? There are two versions of this scenario. The polarity this creates offers a unique opportunity to view their reality. It presents the chance to examine, compare and contrast to determine what resonates as truth for each or whether there is a progression from one to the other somehow. Let us take a quick tour on a cursory level; a 30,000 foot view if you will.

From Wikipedia – The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government—which replaces sovereign nation-states—and an all-encompassing propaganda that ideologizes its establishment as the culmination of history’s progress. Significant occurrences in politics and finance are speculated to be orchestrated by an unduly influential cabal operating through many front organizations. Numerous historical and current events are seen as steps in an on-going plot to achieve world domination through secret political gatherings and decision-making processes.

Alternative view – The uncommon theme is an evolving New World Order that is happening organically through the rising of consciousness in humanity. It is serendipitous and synchronistic in the awareness of the individual or group. It is a process of the development of harmony among people and planet stemming from the intrinsic natural order embedded in our consciousness and linked within the genetic codes we have perceived as being inactive. It is the next level of evolution of our planetary civilization, but it doesn’t come without challenges. It certainly does not come with a magic wand as a panacea.

This new world order also has numerous historical indicators across ancient texts and cuneiform references. The process of chaos to order includes the manipulated efforts of the ‘control group’ so to speak, yet does not end there. This, too, shall pass in its time and with due process because it was forced into manifestation and does not resonate with natural order. Significant cosmological occurrences coincide with the political and financial indicators purported to be part of the culmination of the old world order masquerading as a new. We’re looking for sense to be made common.

Humans are the creation of cosmic consciousness condensing into form; light and sound lowering in vibratory rate through conscious volition. It has been happening for millennia, with an evolutionary leap occurring during one of the rotations of the Milky Way Galaxy around the Central Suns. It shows up as the ‘missing link’ in the evolutionary chart. The Big Bang had two aspects; one of consciousness and one material, created by the same universal consciousness that permeates all things in the space between the particles. Humans are just now beginning to perceive this consciousness enmasse through deep meditation and/or psychotropic journeys of the last half-century.

The experiencer or seeker arrives at a level of consciousness deep within being human that pulses with the heartbeat of creation, much slower than perceptually available to waking consciousness. Evidence of this can be found in references to the ‘sound current’ or Shabda. It is heard with the inner ear and often is confused for tinnitus at first. Through conscious effort at attaining silence and/or spontaneous quietude of a psychotropic experience this sound lowers and opens the consciousness to other worlds within.

Further evidence of this natural order shows up in the cross-references contained in the Chinese, Egyptian, Hindu, Hopi, Mayan and Sumerian calendars. Each one of the interpretations of these calendars alludes to a change of consciousness within the human race that leads to a new world order of significant transformation toward a greater good for all. The point of transition seemed to be the winter solstice of 2012 and thousands if not millions prepared for ‘something’ to happen. Nothing did outwardly and the chaos only continues to get worse.

We are indeed moving from one age to another. How is the chaos changing to order?

Earthquakes or natural disasters happen quickly. Planetary civilizations evolve slowly. Apparently the exponential rise in consciousness and drive for understanding began around the Harmonic Convergence, even though it was seeded by the efforts of explorers and pioneers of the 60s and 70s. Thanks to Paul Ray, Sherry Anderson and Malcolm Gladwell we can relate to the ‘tipping point’ of a ubiquitous rise of consciousness in the Cultural Creatives and their will to do good.

This rise in consciousness equates to understanding natural order and resonance with a theme of harmony among people and planet. The speed of surrender within the individual to the theme determines the smoothness of the transition. Understandably so, the process of chaos to order applies and the rise of a new civilization comes through the fall of another. It is a process, however painful, and results in a new world order.

The 25-year window on the other side of the 2012 Solstice, referencing the 50-year window that began with the Harmonic Convergence cosmological event, now offers the opportunity to implement what we’ve learned. It has begun with rapid advancement of sensitivities in many already, like the ‘clair-alls’ manifesting in an amazing number of people. The thoughtmosphere is ripe with new fruit and those who have remained faithful and true to the inner drive for understanding through faith, love and trust are harvesting greater clarity in the use of their natural abilities and skill sets developed through education and vocation.

The next steps appear to be conversations focusing solely on our capability, compassion and cooperative efforts to create better systems and technology to deliver food, clothing, health care and shelter to all. Inhibiting those conversations are distractions introduced by well-meaning individuals and groups that want to focus on the ills of our world instead and expose the nefarious acts of others. In truth, that action in itself is a nefarious act and stifles the flow of creative energy that empowers the smooth transition, yet their consciousness has not evolved to recognize it yet. This is neither good nor bad, just part of the process of transformation.

What we can do is encourage each other to remember the principle of energy following thought and do our best to limit the attention we give to what we do not want, such as the nefarious actions of others who wish to control our world’s resources for selfish gain. That does not mean we are in denial that it is happening – quite the contrary. What it means is we are better equipped than to let our thoughts get distracted.

As we think and act together, so shall the world change before our very eyes. What do you feel or see now as a result of reading this article? Is it on target or out of bounds? Why?

In fact, when one enters the void there is a darkness full of possibility; a sense of being connected to everything in the nothingness. As one passes through the light (often referred to as the point of light within) into the physical world, the possibility of fulfilling purpose garnered from the formless becoming form is birthed.

So it is with cosmic consciousness manifesting in and through our bodies as they are perfectly designed to be the vessel; the Bodhisattva, the Christ, the human in which God dwells becomes aware of the ONE. The within and the without merge as this marriage of heaven and earth takes place in our lives. The first step begins in the darkness and unknown… Fear and loathing in the New Age has no place.

So many are in this place of jumping off now, and many more will join in since we passed by 12/21 without incident. A new galactic year has begun, launching us into yet another unknown cycle of births and deaths. How will we embrace the unknown? How will we look at our own ignorance and superstition? How will we truly love one another? Will we continue on the same destructive path or have an upwising?

The only judgments made in the ‘light’ or any realm of consciousness are our own. What a paradox in the face of the fear, guilt and shame game! We all seem to know it’s all about feeling connected, at peace and in love. What if we were able to carry that feeling with us, knowing it is what we will find at our next transition anyway? Is a transition inevitable? What if we had a choice?

Is this our challenge: to move from duality to Oneness in our own consciousness? Is this not also the challenge of modern Christianity and others? There is a faction within the Christian realm that profess the living Christ, yet condemn any modern understanding outside the text of the Bible. What a challenge for humans! Are we more than just humans? Or do we just not understand what being human really means? We certainly sense the deep connection with loved ones and in compassionate activities. Is this natural?

Does a child not grow up to become an adult with the capacity to become a parent? What is a self-actualized human being? Could we be confusing crawl-ins, stand-ins and walk-ins because we have no frame of reference and still cannot claim our own growth toward magnificence? The natural resonance of what we have categorized as the various forms of love is obvious evidence that we have a deep-seated knowing that produces sensations when we violate our own values in living.

Our ethics demonstrate how we weigh our knowing of this love with the maligned perception of fear, guilt or shame promoted by those who wish dominance because the grip of their own fear is so unshakeable. It’s also demonstrated by how we behave in light of our words. Most of us don’t realize just how transparent we are and how much attention others pay to the ‘delta’ between words and action. Words are cheap. Action is priceless.

A self-actualized human being, in my opinion, would have achieved awareness through primary personal portals into the fabric of consciousness, at least becoming proficient in creating constructive scenarios with people, places and things. One who achieves a connected state is able to excel in creating good will and execution of strategic plans to actualize personal or professional goals. It’s also a path wrought with trials and tribulations like no other, excruciatingly painful when one has to let go of another who chooses to remain in destructive patterns.

Even those connected individuals realize that the challenge to remain connected is an ever-present moment. Now what about those who have extraordinary connectivity to things beyond the normal scope of human experience? How do they relate to a new living awareness? Apparently shifting consciousness is on the rise due to our planet’s increased vibratory rate as a bi-product of our movement through space. It’s a new kind of quantum entanglement… spooky action at a distance arriving in your neighborhood soon.

According to some sources, cosmic volunteers that become self-actualized human beings master experiential knowing and translate their wisdom into ‘righteous’ acts, promoting the good of the order and all. They are able to engage phenomena beyond our imagination and yet because of universal edicts, their lives are often hidden from public view. Attempts by others to use this awareness for selfish gain find that it just doesn’t work. Those who demand proof are rarely attentive enough to see it.

Humans tend to want spectacular sideshows and get caught up in the phenomena to the point of missing the message. We might even begin to see a synergism of previously fragmented bits of knowledge that congeal into malleable frameworks of great import if we pay attention closely. There is often too much psychic disturbance, too much mental chatter about nothing important, that keeps the affects of spontaneous moments from having a lasting effect.

We have a plethora of literature and accounts of the ascent in consciousness to query on our journey. Too often, though, we tend to get stuck in one path or religion and fail to grok the importance of them all. No one religion has the market on truth. It is possible that a view of them all might provide necessary clues as to their unity. What if we turned our attention to those things that truly matter to us all?

an afterthought…We must honor those who risk their lives to stand up for making sense common. Money and power have ruled many countries silently for centuries. Now the populations are to the point where the house divided simply cannot stand any longer.

The activity seems absolutely insane, yet absolutely necessary in order to shift the balance of power back to the people who deserve. It will take time and for those who are not in the midst of the action, like myself, I can only encourage the peaceful revolution to continue. Wars do no determine who is right, only who is left.

No doubt the insecurities and over-reaction of the police is a result of co-dependence – of acting like they think some authority wants them to act. Alas, the conversations come slowly as hearts are changed; opened to the truth of the inhumanity of brother against brother. It is a time in our making of history for ‘planetary citizens’ to step up and continue to demonstrate the need for our society to evolve beyond the control and domination of those who fear its loss.

It would seem there is a wave of discontent flowing around the planet now. Many knew it was coming. May the natural order of love for one another resume its process and provide ways for quick resolve with the least chaos and destruction as possible.

A Newly Ordered World

When looking at local, national and planetary systems we need (imho) to keep in mind they are, hopefully, designed to serve people in life-friendly if not life-enriching ways. If they aren’t, we might want to rethink and retool for better management of resources. In a most simple and sublime way, the three cornerstones of our elemental make-up, the proton, neutron and electron hold the key to our unity.

We are experiencing the results of the ignorance of conscientiousness. We can no longer deny our connection to each other and behave accordingly. Suffering is a reality in the lives of many, but how does it reflect on the rest of us?

In truth, suffering is a choice. We can change our perspective easily, rising from the ashes of to be reborn again. It isn’t just a figure of speech, either, its a real-life experience for a growing number of people hit by the shift in the employment coupled with the financial crisis today. Many are re-creating their lives in greater alignment with their personal passions of making a better world in some way.

Some choose to not make a choice and allow the lesser self, the little mind, to rule their hearts. It is a viewpoint and easily shifted when supported by the demonstration of others. We all need to support each other in our dreams and goals. There is a lot of work to do.

I think the best place to start is by asking what people need, maybe confirming what we believe we know…or not. People generally have the same needs and only vary in their desires or wants. Then take what we (think) we know and ask or discover the better questions necessary to lead us to what we need to know.

Lao Tzu said it best, “To lead the people walk behind them.” From this perspective we can learn much and guide our evolution as a society with greater efficacy. Too often we rely on what we believe and know, but forget that neither nor both cover the extent of possibilities. I think there was a gentleman who once said that fixing things with the same tools that built them is folly, or something like that.

Taking a fresh look may serve the process better. Innocence and naivety creates possibility. Simple questions become powerful tools. Too often we ask questions regarding the complexity of situations and forgo the obvious, more simple approach that offers better answers and clearer direction. The status quo may be disrupted with such questions and that could be dangerous. People might suffer.

Understanding the significance of suffering is one thing, but to grasp even a fraction of what a greater intelligence might want us to understand about ‘long-suffering’ could take us to a leading edge vantage point. To reach any goal requires careful planning, patience and persistence as one or many face the challenges of the usual bumps in the road.

What else might we need to know that is beyond our belief or knowledge? Every question has an answer. Are we asking the right ones that lead us toward harmony and understanding? Do we need to develop a new set of questions, since the ones we been asking don’t seem to be leading us in the right direction.

Even the most skeptical of scientists, theologians and world servers know there is more than what they know to be true. Others, thanks to near death experiences, have opened the door to bridge the worlds of matter and spirit. Let yourself go for a moment and perceive what a new ordered world might look like with the point of view anchored in One rather than two, love rather than good and evil. This is the evolution of consciousness at play in the minds and hearts of humanity today.

Doesn’t that just set things up? I’m going to twist the reference into something you probably didn’t expect. I’ve been researching the nature of self-development for many decades, applying the research to changing my own life as well as the many clients and organizations I’ve had relationships with over the years.

There has been an overwhelming notion that the core competencies in any successful individual and/or organization are simple: faith, love and trust. I’ll explain what I mean by that further. We’ll look at common definitions and and extended understand extrapolated from the common understanding in hopes of making sense common. The latter brings with it a more well-adjusted and available experience in personal and professional arenas.

Faith

In religion, faith often involves accepting claims about the character of a deity, nature, or the universe. While some have argued that faith is opposed to reason, proponents of faith argue that the proper domain of faith concerns questions which cannot be settled by evidence. For example, faith can be applied to predictions of the future, which (by definition) has not yet occurred.

The word faith is often used as a substitute for hope, trust or belief.”

So this would indicate that ‘faith’ is primarily something associated with religious or spiritual belief systems. What if it were also associated with ‘experience’ systems, those things we grow to know through our experience and understanding?

I would offer that it goes much further in practical application for everyday living. We have faith in many things that guide and nurture our lives. Most of the time that faith is built on experience with people, places and things. In some cases we might say it is more of a ‘knowing’ that develops over time, but with each new situation that ‘faith’ of certain things being present is undeniable. It is a core competency of our efforts to achieve anything worthwhile.

What about the people, places and things in our lives? Can we have faith in them? Of course. Our faith my be tempered by experience. We have faith that certain actions or words will cause a domino effect, cascading into the natural outcome if unaltered or unchecked. Faith also allows us to put people, places and things together on the fly when required to address action plans or emergencies. The former can be just as stressful as the latter, yet with the faith one has in their ability to perform the results are only a matter of time.

There is also a certain faith folks carry who feel they are part of something greater. In our current planetary position, there are a rising number of what were once called Cultural Creatives™ who sense an imperative need to change our attitudes toward fear-based belief systems. Instead of focusing on what is ‘wrong’ they are turning toward developing solutions for the challenges we face as a planetary civilization. The operation of such a movement begins in local communities with leaders who serve through challenging legislators to do what is beneficial for the health of the community and its residents. There is a certain ‘faith’ that drives these folks in doing what needs to be done.

Love

From Wikipedia: “The English word love can refer to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from pleasure (“I loved that meal”) to interpersonal attraction (“I love my partner”). It can refer to an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment. It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—”the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another”.And it may describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one’s self or animals.

In terms of interpersonal attraction, four forms of love have traditionally been distinguished, based on ancient Greek precedent: the love of kinship or familiarity (in Greek, storge), the love of friendship (philia), the love of sexual and/or romantic desire (eros), and self-emptying or divine love (agape). Modern authors have distinguished further varieties of romantic love. Non-Western traditions have also distinguished variants or symbioses of these states. This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states.

Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts. Love may be understood as part of the survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.”

I want to offer a little twist the concept of LOVE. Let’s expand it to Limitless Oscillating Vibrational Energy – it just IS. I trust that paints an appropriate picture. LOVE is in action, it is alive in and around us always, coursing through every person and situation we encounter. We can feel it in our humble and quiet moments. We share the sensation we do the things that bring us happiness and joy. We don’t talk about it much, though. We talk about everything else, but what really matters; to love and be loved. At our core, we all desire the same thing, yet we act out in some amazing ways to produce just the opposite; isolation and separation when we put conditions on people, places and things.

Conversely when the little ego rises to the big Ego, the inspired self, it changes the game entirely. The sensation is sought after and recognized as a resonance that is undeniable. The Limitless Oscillating Vibrational Energy becomes a guiding beacon rather than a subtle distraction. To think it just magically appears is probably not far off the mark, when one releases their fear of … then a new freedom appears and the sensation of LOVE along with it. Sure, it is a challenge to engage this kind of activity or discussion in most public gatherings or workplaces. Still, if you don’t, who will?

LOVE, in this sense, is absent of emotion yet full of feeling. The reality is a paradox in play with the mind as it grabs for meaning and practicality. I would go so far as to say it is a natural state of the universe, a sensation that is felt in every living creature in some form or another. It sounds really simplistic, but then so does quantum physics view of the appearance of the particle or wave depending on the observer. So, LOVE is difficult to consistently define, beyond the emotional states. It is easy to sense, though, permeating our being and our lives.

The little ego begins to understand the Supra Ego, the Inspired ONE, engaged and enveloped by LOVE. How does this change our behavior? When we aspire to engage the sensation in all we do, everything changes and what once seemed insurmountable might seem as just a bump in the road on our journey. In our current state of affairs and social challenges it is even more imperative that this consciousness, this understanding and wisdom, prevails in our every deed and thought. We can demonstrate, but not dominate the conversation.

Trust

From Wikipedia: “In a social context, trust has several connotations. Definitions of trust typically refer to a situation characterized by the following aspects: One party (trustor) is willing to rely on the actions of another party (trustee); the situation is directed to the future. In addition, the trustor (voluntarily or forcedly) abandons control over the actions performed by the trustee. As a consequence, the trustor is uncertain about the outcome of the other’s actions; he can only develop and evaluate expectations. The uncertainty involves the risk of failure or harm to the trustor if the trustee will not behave as desired.

Trust can be attributed to relationships between people. It can be demonstrated that humans have a natural disposition to trust and to judge trustworthiness that can be traced to the neurobiological structure and activity of a human brain, and can be altered e.g. by the application of oxytocin.

Conceptually, trust is also attributable to relationships within and between social groups (families, friends, communities, organizations, companies, nations etc.). It is a popular approach to frame the dynamics of inter-group and intra-group interactions in terms of trust.

When it comes to the relationship between people and technology, the attribution of trust is a matter of dispute. The intentional stance demonstrates that trust can be validly attributed to human relationships with complex technologies. However, rational reflection leads to the rejection of an ability to trust technological artifacts.

One of the key current challenges in the social sciences is to re-think how the rapid progress of technology has impacted constructs such as trust. This is specifically true for information technology that dramatically alters causation in social systems.

In the social sciences, the subtleties of trust are a subject of ongoing research. In sociology and psychology the degree to which one party trusts another is a measure of belief in the honesty, fairness, or benevolence of another party. The term “confidence” is more appropriate for a belief in the competence of the other party. Based on the most recent research, a failure in trust may be forgiven more easily if it is interpreted as a failure of competence rather than a lack of benevolence or honesty. In economics trust is often conceptualized as reliability in transactions. In all cases trust is a heuristic decision rule, allowing the human to deal with complexities that would require unrealistic effort in rational reasoning.”

Now let’s take a twisted view of trust. What circuitous journey am I going to take you on now? Trust is a natural foundation of living, but we have to let go of our vice-grip on reality to truly TRUST. This is probably the ultimate challenge for the change agent, you. It is self-initiating and ultimately self-fulfilling when the vision, mission, plan, practice and performance manifest as a successful endeavor.

In this kind of scenario and in order for us to serve a mission or purpose, the ‘me’ or ‘I’ has to take a break and sit out for a moment. The question arises, “How can I help with the best use of my ability, skills set and understanding for….?” With such a question and from a place of quiet observation one can allow a natural flow of appropriate contemplations or thoughts to emerge. Answers flow and quite often one simply ‘sees’ what needs to be done.

When one is able to step back and observe a situation BEFORE being engaged by it, there is the capacity for shaping the results in a positive way by simple non-attached observation coupled with that sensation of trust. Yes, it is another sensation. It has subtle differences from faith and love. Each has a frequency or resonance that is perceivable or perceptible by the body-mind sensory array. We just haven’t tuned ourselves in properly.

It applies to social architecture of the future as well. Faith, love and trust are intrinsic in developing personal and professional relationships, yet far too often we treat each other as potential enemies vying for attention, time and market share. People don’t change, a person does. If one finds people, places and things that promote happiness and harmony, how difficult is it to share those with their cohorts, peers or staff? If we are going to find sustainable processes that create a better world, what might we search for in the smorgasbord of solutions?

So what does this all mean, the twisted views? I have a feeling that these are operational foundations of our natural being. Our choice is whether we learn how to operate with them or continue to ignore them and flounder down the path to perdition we’re on as a planetary population. The practical side is the application of the new living awareness in everything we are, do and hope for in this life. It applies to how we treat ourselves, each other and our planet.

Some deeper part of me knows this is natural – BEing in faith, love and trust. The rest are distractions to the truth.

(signed treaty violated by Earth’s elite) “Much pain but still time.” Disregard for life in all its forms, yet there is time to facilitate harmony among people and planet. “Believe there is good out there.” NO THREAT from off planet civilizations. Paul Hellyer (retired Canadian Defense Minister) revealed this is well known in the Military Industrial Complex. “We oppose the deceivers.” Opposition for those who continue to control and manipulate through fear-based systems. Opposition does not mean aggression, either. Beyond the mirroring of behavior, authenticity and openness flow more than fear. “Conduit is closing.” No longer will deceptive practices be hidden – what is done in the shadows will come to light naturally. Human-centric notions will end. The Galactic Year is ending, cosmologically affecting our solar system, right down to the cellular brain of our DNA.

There has been a growing trend, an increase in consciousness, that assuages the old belief systems and offers a new living awareness. It is evident across the world and throughout existing belief systems that have fallen short of their intended purpose – to unite humanity as one. There is a New Time and a New Way; understanding that humans are related to each other and to ‘extraterrestrial’ races as a galactic family, a galactic federation of light. The so-called ‘dark intentions’ were merely the process of an evolving civilization separated from the true knowledge of their origins, learning how to manage or mis-manage resources – people, places and things. It is a challenge for humans to see this based on their (to date) short life spans.

Here we are now in the New Time, with renewed passion for reordering our world in harmony with natural law and order. We’ve learned, at an accelerated rate since the Harmonic Convergence, that when the doorway opened and the exponential shifts in consciousness began to occur aligned with the opening created by celestial alignments, the subtle energy dance with a different beat – that of the heart.

In this New Time, truth emerges as continuous discoveries are made in science, spirituality and technology. We know there are many dimensions, demonstrated by modern mathematicians and experienced by those who, for some reason, enter into realms of consciousness heretofore only hinted at in ancient texts. Humanity is indeed awakening. However, many still seek proof in some way. Consciousness is inherently intangible yet direct experience is available. We’ve kept our inner life at a distance, rarely visiting let alone actualizing outwardly in passionate deliberate creations. Many have risen to the tasks and are experiencing breakthroughs (which are sometimes a series of break-downs) in their personal and professional worlds aligning more.

On a different plane, the bodies of that vibratory rate (similar to the physical and visual experience of Earth, not limited to 3-D physics), haven’t even begun to be explored fully. We talk about multidimensionality, with limited if not rare experiences of it, yet even with all the talking heads, there is little provided that offers a direct experience of it on demand. This is where the scientific method comes into play and with repeatability, there is capacity for expanded knowledge and wisdom, the ‘right use’ which inherently resides in the higher vibratory experience. Now that we’re in the New Time, and the remainder of the 50-year cycle surrounding the 2012 Winter Solstice, the thoughtmosphere is ripe for harvest. Implementing the awareness garnered over the last 25 years, putting it in time frame orientation, we craft and execute a new living awareness and behavior in the world.

That behavior is a demonstration of how well you are aligned with this new living model that self-corrects as awareness continues to grow. The stories are being told, those who’ve incarnated are becoming aware of their connectedness to something bigger. It’s been illusive, this path of perfection embedded in our genes and soul, the consciousness brought on by discovery and sharing of psycho-spiritual as well as scientific technologies. For the time being, though, existing systems are still in play and many still have to pay bills. That is the dilemma that has faced three generations, starting with the Peace, Love and Harmony generation of the 60s.

The Occupy Movement was the collective conscience acting out with the first stage of ‘something is amiss’ and demonstrating for addressing the obvious problems caused by poor fiscal and physical management. The wave swept the planet in a few weeks, but it was not destined for achieving results, only awareness that a seemingly huge number of people around the world agree we have a common stake in the development of our future society. Oddly enough, Crop Circles appear that seem serendipitous to events around the world and continue to offer communication to us through the bio-circuitry of the bent plants that then transfers through the thoughtmosphere of the planet and people. It supports the subtle shifts of the cosmological events as our Mother, a daughter also, begins another cycle.

There undoubtedly many methods to achieve direct experience. One such form of experience available today comes from a technique developed in the 1950s by William Swygard, called Multi-Plane Awareness. It has only been performed as an individual experience through a ‘qualified’ facilitator for decades, yet no one has taken it to the next level – for distribution – now available as an MP3 download. Only your direct experience will prove its reality… or not. Responses from those who’ve tried it have been quite phenomenal…. the bridging of worlds beyond their imagination… http://ow.ly/jzAcb

Biology of Change

Who are we? What are we? Bruce offers an explanation of how we can change our biology, how we can ascend from our current self-sabotaging world at-large. Too often we ignore the fact that the most life-affirming thing we can do is to know ourselves.

We espouse this notion as a result of wisdom shed thousands of years ago, yet we have numerous scientific examples of how our feelings and thoughts affect our reality.

Bruce and an old friend, Steve Bhaerman (aka Swami Beyondananda) teamed up to put these discoveries into a great book, Spontaneous Evolution, that shares even more details and great anecdotal side notes and heart warming rants from the Swami. I highly recommend it. What’s in your bottle?

In addition to Lipton’s model of the biological upwising, I would take the delivery system to deeper level, based on the discoveries in quantum mechanics and the growing consideration for quantum entanglement to be yet another name for a very old path. First of all, we know that thought is invisible, has no physical characteristics or density and can move matter when properly directed.

Granted there are few and maybe even questionable scientific studies to some, but the scientists at Los Alamos long ago realized that their thoughts had an effect on the results of their experiments, even the physical manifestations. So if this is a hidden effect that these folks have brought to light, why are we still giving it lip service and ignoring the obvious – we can train our minds to make a better life and world. I know, it is far easier said that done, but the fact that the logic path seems like so much sense being made common is undeniable. Or is it?

Alright, let’s look around a bit to see if there are any other bits and pieces of information that might lead to this potentially magnificent transcendence of human experience. Indeed we’ve been waiting on science to make sense of all the religious superstitions and spiritual understanding so that we could transcend the old ways while acknowledging the leadership and wisdom that got us here now. I’m not a half-full or half-empty guy. I have the carafe and a warehouse full of wine, or whatever your favorite liquid.

I look at things from a fool’s view, upside down. Why? Because when you peer at chaos knowing there is order within, it is far easier to find it and share. Viewing our reality from the perspective of how it appears to be connected in whatever awareness you may have of this notion totally flips the view, from separative to unified. We don’t see what makes us different. We see what makes us the same.

Where can we find that presented at a purely scientific level, yet find some reflection in the old ways or ancient texts that can at least be deemed, ‘possible?’

I’m going to turn around again and take that question in reverse. What is the worst thing we could possibly encounter according to one of the main religions on Earth? The Anti-Christ? Okay. We often find freedom in overcoming what we fear, right? Just follow me for a moment. Math is involved with science, right? Is there a magic number? Hmmm… 666?

It is supposed to be the number of man as well. So, what is man? What is our basic substructure that allows us to be in physical form? Carbon, right? Do you see where I’m going? Carbon has an atomic structure of 6 protons, 6 electrons and 6 neutrons. If anything, 666 could be the number of man. It certainly would put us all on a level playing field with equal foundation for all. Could this be the wisdom in the number? Okay, now what?

Can we consider our environment a ‘thoughtmosphere’ that we can observe as our thoughts permeate our bodies and, according to some sources, may even extend to quite a distance around us. How? One aspect is electromagnetic energy from our brain. Another is the ‘chi’ coursing through our nervous system. Yet another are the sensations we feel when in the presence of certain individuals, different from emotions.

So there is an intangible component that could, given our current understanding of electrochemical neurocircuitry, begin completely new pathways, with the assistance of one of those intangible benefits – our thoughts – aggravated, circumvented, contemplated, detected, implemented, infected, mutilated, rejected and underrated. At least that is where we’ve been getting assistance… unconscious behavior and run a muck thinking.

Let’s look at how that fits in with the last of the apocalyptic notions, the end of the Mayan Calendar or, more appropriately, the end of the galactic year. It is only a cycle of time, yet the implications brought up by the multitude of sources regarding the advancement of consciousness during this time sure fits the apocalypse of the Bible as well. Neither were intended as ‘end times’ scenarios, but featured a new era among humans – something transformational. It is a closing of one age and an entrance into another, but not only that, it appears to be a massive shift in how we look at life on Earth and with each other. Will we see world peace in our lifetimes?

That will remain to be seen and surely will be a product of how well we learn to work together to restore our environment, if we can, and end poverty in the world. Those would be the two greatest indicators of our success and, in reality, nothing short of that will give us reason to say we are truly a civilized world based on current best practices and thinking.

Now you might ask, “So, how does this affect my life. What’s in it for me?” That is the absolute best question you could ask right now. Why? Because in order to get the best answer, you’ll have to get involved in the process of answering it. Huh? Here’s another way of looking at it: you get what you give. In other words, the better you learn how to practice what you know is best for you, the more open and receptive you will be to better ways of being, doing and having your results be the evidence that is irrefutable.

Each of us have the opportunity of taking an inventory of who we are, where we are, how we are and when we are in the precious present. It’s part of the best practices of self-awareness, so we might as well dive in. What is the worst that could happen? You might find out you haven’t been as honest with yourself as you could have been. Cool. Did you get hit by lightning? Did your body tremble with fear as you faced the fact? Alright, so nothing happened. Imagine if you could change and be a better you? No one is perfect, so we can all improve a bit.

Alright, so if you run out of questions or would like to entertain some that have led to a better life for others, you might want to look into a short book I wrote about coursework for connecting to your inner-most observer. It’s called, aptly, “Cosmic Conundrum: Who Am I?” and you can find it as a soft cover or on Kindle, both available through Amazon for $19.95 and $9.99 respectfully. It is the result of over 30 years of intense personal growth and development in self-awareness.

I think any time one goes down this path, we wish to share what we’ve found in as many ways as possible. Although there is a cost for coursework, you’ll find a lot more of my work is available for free if you just do a search in your favorite engine. For now, you have the opportunity for an amazing 2013 with just this information alone. I am blessed by sharing. Namaste….

This was a blank post for a couple of days, just to make a point. The future is completely malleable, a blank canvas if you will. I’ve got to thank Fleming Funch for the graphic and his development of one of the first community-oriented websites back in the early 00s, NewCiv.org. So, what kind of new paradigm do you/we want for 2013? Do we even want one? If we did, what would it include and/or eliminate?

For me, I’ve not been able to decide what I want to be when I grow up, or that I want to grow up at all. At 55 you’d think I would have everything in line and be well on my way to retirement. In today’s world I’m not sure retirement is even an option. However, what has been a driving force in my quiet moments is the passion for purpose and the fulfillment of a vision I was given so many years ago, nearly 40 now.

The vision wasn’t full of scenery, the kind of rapid fire visuals that accompany the unfolding of a contemporary experience you might read about from others who have seen the future and are reporting back. Instead, it was empty of preconception or prognostication. The vision was simply full of potential with only the points of light (I understood them as points of consciousness) gathered to work together to assist in the development of a new world order.

Now a ‘new world order’ has connotations that don’t necessarily make it a good thing these days. It smacks of the Orwellian style of global village where control and dominance of some less-than-helpful regime ultimately takes advantage of everyone and everything in order to benefit a few. I really think we have that already and maybe you do as well. Does that mean that we are stuck with it? I think not.

Last year’s arrival of the Occupy Movement demonstrated that there is a level of discontent and support for change, acknowledging that how things are now isn’t working. It doesn’t take a diligent researcher or scientist to recognize that we have some huge problems lurking with an elephant in the middle of the room. Actions being taken by some are counter-intuitive and lack the common sense that seems so obvious to those who have little attachment to the outcome of the current agenda – whatever that is.

Whatever the agenda is, it appears to completely disregard the one element that could unite us all – learning how to get along. Instead the focus has been how to get around, over, through and (your choice of preposition) what has to be considered in order for us to move forward as a planetary civilization. We use the thinking and the tools that created the problems and expect solutions to emerge as if by magic.

It appears we are lacking the initiative to call a halt to our methodologies that only continue to exacerbate and masturbate. Our belief systems operate on control whether it is people, places or things. Military, political, religious and social architecture have become so rigid with the the idea that there is always an enemy that we have forgotten how to be friends, lovers and neighbors who look out for each other not with aggression or weapons, but with love and service.

In the US, supposedly a nation with Christian values, we ignore the basic tenets of Christ’s teaching regularly. I’m not a ‘Christian’ per se, but Christ’s teachings rank with all the great masters from all the religions who basically say the same thing… love one another. We forget that if we feed our perceived ‘enemy’ then the likelihood of them remaining an ‘enemy’ is less. Most often the meal conversations evolve toward some kind of unity and similarity and, God forbid, we might get to know each other and see how similar we really are instead.

This is the thing about changing our paradigm to one that makes sense common, brings out our humanity and renders harmless the ill-will of those who are afraid of losing what they’ve gained. I would offer that we can engage a new living awareness that has nothing to do with any current or old belief system, but we have a real challenge in helping others – cohorts, friends, neighbors, etc, – to simply change their thinking for a little while, try on a new hat or pair of glasses and see the world with new eyes.

We just passed yet another possibility for total annihilation that, yet again, many thought was going to happen because they didn’t bother to do the research and understand what the indigenous cultures who created the calendars intended for the human race to understand, or even if they did. In reality, their intention and projection (if one can call it that) was for a new consciousness to evolve throughout humanity – one of harmony among people and planet – as a result of the progression of time. To me that seems like the natural progression for a planetary civilization to make and to hold as a goal for their sustainability to say the least.

Recent scientific discoveries show that there has been activity going on along the Milky Way for much longer than we might have suspected. The image to the left is from Fermi, a NASA telescope that was launched in 2008. Obviously it has traveled a long way already to give us this kind of astounding imagery. Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have been happening for some time as well. We don’t have enough historical data to predict or even know the patterns of activity over the course of Earth’s history, so any projections would be speculative at best.

Speaking of speculations… the subtle energy baths, bubbles, particles and waves (for you quantum viewers) create a mixture of sensory opportunity. Some feel that on this playing field our inner sensory array, beknownst or unbeknownst to us, receives these cosmic messages and translates them into subtle impressions and movements of data within our BEing.

The data retrieval and optimization of our inner software seems to depend on how well we ask questions and listen in the silence for our ‘downloads’ to present a multi-sensory display – usually some warm fuzzies [sensations] and a video snippet [eyes open or closed doesn’t always matter] that accompanies the ‘realization’ in the moment. It may happen slightly differently for each individual, but the general theme is consistent. Too often we are unable to articulate these events well enough to share.

Multidimensional consciousness, however misunderstood, does include the potential for non-linear or even what is being called quantum entanglement experiences. Now this might sound too scientific, but on a practical level it is an attempt to explain how the various aspects of this multidimensional experience happen, like synchronicity for instance. We all have those experiences, but we don’t necessarily know how they occur. Translating a non-linear experience into a linear framework is touchy at best.

Obviously some kind of ‘energy’ or data has to interact in the matrix of consciousness, the thoughtmosphere, in order for actions to take place and results to be experienced. We find that this seems to happen more consistently with those who have an expanded awareness. This increased awareness also coincides with a general sense of the advancement of consciousness, the real movement toward a new world order of harmony among people and planet.

We can observe this on yet another level of scientific order, which I think fits perfectly into our advancement as a planetary civilization molecule, if you will. Ilya Prigogine rocked the scientific world with his theories on disequilibrium and made this statement: “When a molecule’s implicate (existing) order starts to fall apart, the entity faces a moment of choice, the ‘bifurcation point.’ It can either go out of existence, or recognize itself at a higher level to accommodate the new variables.” Consider the thoughtmosphere of the human race as this molecule now.

What that means is that a new living awareness results from the turn toward love at the bifurcation point. This turn toward love brings noticeable changes in one’s environment, which also speaks to the notion that Bruce Lipton presents in our ability to change our biology as a result of how we perceive our environment. Seeing the world through new eyes is important now.

How we advance in the next few years, maybe even this year will set the standard, is more important than ever now. It is imperative to shift our focus from the old fear, guilt and shame game to a new view that puts our processing on hold for just a fraction of a moment, allowing us to pause for the cause (our lives) and take a breath (inspiration) before launching into old patterns that were created from the thinking and tools that got us into this mess. Can we do it?

I cannot begin to delineate all the features and benefits of such a shift, nor can I begin to cover all the areas affected (and how) throughout our global society because of its complexity across the gamut of perplexing challenges currently facing our leadership. What I can do is encourage a deeper look, a longer pause in reflecting on your real values and how you live them. I think we all want to love and be love, as corny as that may sound, so how are we demonstrating that in our daily lives and relationships?

It’s 2013 now and we’re still here. We know, or at least some have a sense, that all things are connected – a holistic model of consciousness permeates creation. Quantum sciences are pointing toward this as fact now. We still choose to separate ourselves from others today, though.

Since you are reading this, yet another moment has come and gone without incident. Now what do we do?

Fear is being promoted at the very top of national leadership across the world. Even when prompted to contact or communicate with another, our ‘logic’ often prohibits the interaction due to fear of misunderstanding, rejection or threat of appearing less than what we think we should.

It has taken us centuries to arrive at the present conditions. Can or will it change in a few years? Will we rise above fear and embrace a new way?

How can we open our minds to something we’ve never experienced?

What if we were able to acknowledge the obvious?

Our minds and hearts are still in opposition, we fear what we do not know or have not experienced.

Oftentimes a new experience brings such a ‘rush’ of energy that we confuse it as a threat rather than a thread in the fabric of our evolution. We lock up – the fight or flight syndrome so common in psychology affects our emotional responses.

Are these our only choices? Do we have yet another choice yet unexplored? We can rise in consciousness but we actually take the mandatory rollercoaster ride to get there. It is our unconscious patterned desire for continued separation that inhibits our ability to connect, a pattern so deep and in such conflict with self/Self that wars are fought across the planet because of it. It’s time for it to stop.

Ancient Mayan and even Sanskrit terms in use today indicate we might want to consider some alternatives. ‘In lakesh’ (I am another you) and ‘namasté’ (internal and external obeisance to thee) both acknowledge the oneness in self and others.

The humble bow of recognition that is part of many cultures moves us closer toward a sense of unity or at least understanding. It is more than respect. I am challenged to see and sense myself in another, even with the extensive experience and knowing of this truth and having an attitude of gratitude. What about those unaware?

The Internet brings us closer in communication and yet further apart from physical communion with others. What do we really want anyway? The hot new belief system says we can attract what we want by identifying what we desire, giving it attention, and allowing it to happen. Easier said than done, yet it warrants further consideration for sure.

Implementing an action plan that creates the magnet for the desire of harmony among people and planet to manifest is the key that we seem to ignore, thinking that we can defy known scientific rules: potential energy remains at rest until acted upon.

Values, Morals and Ethics – Personal Ethics and Life

Personal conviction and ethics statement: I will to do good for all, desiring to serve humanity in the highest and best use of my mind/body/spirit complex, in the facilitation of a new world order of harmony among people and planet through presenting alternative solutions to community service delivery, participating in local socioeconomic and environmental service programs, development of a solutions-based state-of-the-art model community, and developing a website that promotes these endeavors and more in the change of consciousness necessary for sustainable living on Planet Earth.

It has been said that values, morals and ethics are inextricably tied together. Values are what we learn from childhood; the ‘stuff’ we absorb from our parents and immediate surroundings. Morals are the intrinsic beliefs developed from the value systems of how we ‘should’ behave in any given situation. Ethics, on the other hand, are how we actually do behave in the face of difficult situations that test our moral fiber. In his book, “How Good People Make Tough Choices,” Rushworth Kidder notes four basic paradigms of ethical decisions: justice versus mercy; short-term versus long-term; individual versus community; and truth versus loyalty. He goes on to define the concepts further:

The point behind the justice-versus-mercy paradigm is that fairness, equity, and even-handed application of the law often conflict with compassion, empathy, and love.

Short-term versus long-term, or now versus then, reflect the difficulties arising when immediate needs or desires run counter to future goals or prospects.

The individual-versus-community paradigm can be restated as us versus them, self versus others, or the smaller versus the larger group.

Truth versus loyalty can be seen as honesty or integrity versus commitment, responsibility, or promise-keeping.

Expressing one’s personal grasp of ethics and life may not always be understood in the context of the world at large, the immediate environment, or even amongst the intimate others in the household. This is usually due to the fact that every person has some difference, small or great, in the development of their belief systems. Belief systems are established early in life through environments of home, church, school, and social gatherings which help to mold and shape these beliefs.

Most of these beliefs and patterns of behavior are established through the unconscious observations and experiences of childhood in the aforementioned environments. These I refer to as ‘outer’ experiences which are akin to the ‘nurture’ piece of the ‘nature-nurture’ developmental processes. Allow me to use my own ‘outer’ experience as an example. My personal ethics and leadership feeds my enthusiasm for sharing.

I knew that I was adopted by the time I was five. My adoptive parents were ideal by some standards, demonstrating honesty, integrity, and willingness to address conflict with style and grace even in the most difficult of situations. Dad was a tool and die machinist, building plastic injection molds for General Motors optical division and was also a 32nd Degree Mason. Mom was an educator with a master’s degree in Music and English and taught middle school English and Literature.

They were a formidable team for an adolescent with growing pains, encouraging me to challenge and explore my world. My parents taught me that honesty was the best policy, even when the details may not be too favorable. They taught me the meaning of trust which was not being afraid even when I felt vulnerable. Of course that does not mean that I am able to apply that knowledge always, although age does have its advantages.

Where obvious bottlenecks occur in personal and professional environments I still tend to ‘go deep’ in conversations even at the risk of rejection. Paths need to be cleared of trash for solid relationships to develop. Now mom suffers from dementia and dad has advanced stages of Parkinson’s and I’m glad there were no bottlenecks in our relationship as I got older. Oh, there were some years of distance while I’ve been in Phoenix and yet we’re still close.

I also began having metaphysical, or paranormal, experiences around my 6th birthday. I refer to these as ‘inner’ experiences, or what I feel akin to the ‘nature’ element of the developmental processes. Our values, morals and ethics and intrinsic functionality in society stems from this place, although it is the ‘outer’ details that generally rule the scene. For most, the internal experience is often ignored because of the lack of external acceptance or validation. There was a disparity with my parents due to the lack of a frame of reference regarding my metaphysical meanderings which often caused me to question my own reality, by the way.

‘Trust but verify’ builds reliance on others and it is rare that one can find other psychic constituents in the workplace or in life for that matter. Consequently, the balance toward trusting others was often weighted by desire rather than discernment. The discernment came later as I began to understand that not all people were like my parents. Even they kept their distance in discussing certain spiritual experiences or subjects.

The lack of personal experience often creates barriers that are difficult to bridge, if at all. In fact, I found that disbelief and skepticism were more prominent than ever. People were often afraid of what they did not understand and sometimes allowed that fear to provoke unnecessary violence. Fear stimulates a plethora of disconnecting responses. I had learned that life was stimulated by connectedness so this presented a great enigma. How can one close this gap, at times a chasm, so that it can be reconciled or resolved? Personal ethics ascends to personal leadership in the face of seeming insurmountable odds at times.

Others’ motives were not always utilitarian, nor are their values, morals and ethics. Heck, mine weren’t always either. We all have some cosmic conundrums in selfish motivations from time to time. Some live their lives by those motivations. The resulting actions were often misplaced personal libertarian expressions of selfishness without regard to personal boundaries and affects on the environment, fueled by the presence of plethora of distractions from what is ‘healthy or prudent’ to what works for now or provides the most personal benefit. Honesty and integrity show up in the leaders who are willing to bear the cross, so to speak, of clearing the path to success of its garbage.

This process of restoring integrity (the congruence of values, ethics, and morals) can have emotionally devastating affects if one allows the projections of others to rule their lives. People with problems most often will project those problems onto others until someone or something presents a situation that challenges the person to change and provides a safe environment for them to do so. There are others who seem to attract these situations, usually because they have committed themselves to service in some way. The strength of character is reflective of the trials and tribulations one has addressed in their life and empowered by their ability to ascend from emotional manipulation and/or trickery. The proverbial look in the mirror allows us to see what we need to transcend, even in ourselves.

As I got older I learned that the inner life I was leading provided more concrete understanding of the nature of the outer reality and the actions of others. I read profusely for a time, gobbling up the great works of secular and spiritual masters to glean better understanding of my own experiences and to grow personally and professionally. Putting myself in the hot seat at seminars and workshops tested what I learned and tempered my sword of truth over time. I learned over the years that questions asked internally with sincerity are answered in a variety of ways, not always in the moment they are asked. We all still have to deal with human emotions and the occasional absurdity of the actions emotions precipitate.

Whether exposing options changed those actions or not varied from situation to situation depending on my ability to question congruency, the awareness of connectivity, and framing the emotional feelings and sensations verbally so that we could discuss them. Articulation without projection is a most challenging process. Most ‘first responses’ in chelas on the path are projective in nature, often defensive and full of irrationalities. The challenge to change still presents itself as I get older and more experienced with introducing interrogatives that do not put people on edge, although sometimes its fun to watch them squirm. However, insecurity is rampant in our society and even the most innocuous questions too often produce defensive postures. Fear, guilt and shame have ruled our lives for too long.

In my teens the greatest influence came through the Order of DeMolay, which is sort of a young men’s (14-21) Christian-based precursor to the Masonic Order. It was named after Jaques DeMolay, a Knights Templar, who gave up his life rather than betray his brethren during the Crusades in Europe. I was elected Master Councilor at fifteen and at 17, competed at the state Conclave through a speech on filial love and in one-meter springboard diving, achieving an honorable mention for the speech and third place in diving. Receiving the International DeMolay Medal for Saving a Human Life was another significant emotional event at the Conclave.

I had been quick to respond to an event at the public pool where I was a lifeguard the previous summer. I reached an unconscious young girl just after being struck by another diver, having perceived the outcome and entering the water before the actual event. Her parents pursued the newspaper and recognition of my attentiveness. I was just fortunate to have been watching and able to act on the event. Our Chapter Dad submitted the paperwork to the International Council without my awareness. Saving the life of another is a personal blessing for which there is truly no verbal or written example of the heart-felt response. I chose not to pursue the path of Free Masonry, although I honor its foundation of personal service toward the highest good of all even if personal sacrifice is necessary.

I learned the values, morals and ethics of teamwork in school through clubs, group projects and sports and individual participation in transformation: a guide for change support of the team through baseball, golf (medalist my senior year), and track. The competitive spirit was alive within me, yet it was not a ‘win-at-all-cost’ attitude by any means. I had a lot of natural academic talent and physical ability that I took for granted. I realized later in life that my knack for accomplishment stemmed from simply not knowing what I could not do. I missed opportunities because I chose to clutter my head with drugs late in high school and early in college.

In time I learned to be genuine with my affection and my attention; being cautious and sensitive in matters of the heart and a bit bold in exploring life’s opportunities. According to many authorities relationships should be more caring and considerate as we mature. Much later, my involvement in education and child development (divorced w/four children and an unfulfilled desire to be near them) demonstrated that the ‘norm’ during those years is quite ‘me-centered’ and emotional maturity comes later for most, if at all. I’m sure my behavior was quite indicative of a teenager, yet in the quieter moments my thoughts ran very deep.

I graduated 10th in my class of 300 and had no idea at the time that I could have been valedictorian had I put just a little effort toward excelling in academics. My classroom pranks brought my average down as well, having met the challenge of classmates without thinking of personal outcome. Teachers’ kids/preachers’ kids… not much difference. I got caught up in ‘wanting to be liked’ and did some inappropriate things. Academic and athletic abilities came naturally, yet my appreciation for them was diminished by my exploration into pot and hallucinogens. The drugs served two things – emotional escape and, surprisingly, a way to find a deeper connection with life – a paradox that seems to be prevalent in progressive lifestyles. They opened my ears, eyes and heart to new awareness that seemed an integral part of reality.

Still some do not understand this path is only short-lived, a mere stepping stone on the way to enlightenment and not a destination by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately many get caught in the quagmire and never return to reality. Some remain on the fringe and do quite well as pioneers, like Carlos Castaneda and Terrence McKenna. Many more have moved on to greater accomplishments in many fields. I still find that I let secondary priorities affect my efforts to follow my true passions in life, which I sense is the norm for most of us. Daily living offers the chance of many opportunities which call for the ethical and moral considerations for self and others before acting on those choices.

My second quarter in college started off with a real bang. I’d been dating a girl since my sophomore year in high school; ‘breaking up’ with her upon entering college because I was not sure I would be able to maintain monogamy. The first quarter brought some heavy emotional days of missing her so during quarter break I went back to ask her to marry me. I lost it after I found out she was already married, nearly a month prior. I was an emotional basket case for a long time afterward. My heart sunk in devastation and I returned to school determined to give my life to something with meaning. In respect of this I knelt in prayer and asked ‘Father’ to know truth and was willing to die for it if necessary. It was the most intense prayer I’d ever made.

A week later, while in meditation listening to ‘In the Morning Day’ on Journey’s first album, I heard a voice immediately after the lyrics of the song. It said, “Bruce, are you willing to die for what you believe in?” I paused for a moment, checking my beliefs (Christ in an ‘expanded’ view), and replied, “Yes.” Immediately I felt a tugging on my inner being. I let go and turned to see my body as I was moving away from it. O.B.Es were not unfamiliar, as I’d been having them since childhood. When I turned back to look where I was going, I was engulfed by white light. Personal ethics and personal leadership reached a defining moment in the stream of consciousness of my life. I was completely out of control of my senses, yet felt completely safe in the process.

I was only missing tactile sensations inside the light and as an impetuous teen, I asked if there was more. I felt another sensation of movement and found myself in the center of a sphere of pinpoints of light. After recognizing them as points of consciousness, whether in body or not I was not sure as I sure as heck was not, the voice resumed. “These are those that you are to work with in order to facilitate the new world order. It will happen in your lifetime. Know this to be true. Your path will be full of trials and tribulations. Everything you need will be there at the appointed time. … trust and allow.” At the completion, I returned to my body with a rush of energy followed by a gasp for air, leaving my eyes closed temporarily while getting reacquainted with my body. It was AWESOME!

Returning to my body was in itself a significant emotional event, let alone the previous few moments. I felt my question was answered and I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, consequently told my parents, and found myself talking with a psychiatrist a week later. To this day I still seek answers to the questions remaining from this experience. A blessing in disguise, my tenure with the psychologist helped me to begin to balance my inner and outer experiences, and to find order in my life. I saw him twice before he reflected his findings to me.

After a brief conversation on my third visit, where he revealed his values, morals and ethics in that he shared his view. I was not crazy by any stretch of the imagination. He said that I was going through a ‘spiritual awakening’ of classic nature, only that it usually happened when folks were in their 40’s. He asked me to follow him and we adjourned to the second story of his office in a beautiful historic home in Anderson, Indiana. This resulted in my first tarot card reading, which edified all we had discussed and more. I was ecstatic and intimidated by the ‘truth’ this session revealed.

His advice was to keep my mouth shut because few would understand, especially my adoptive parents who just could not relate to a spiritual awakening instead of a psychologically skewed son for whom they cared dearly and were frightened for his life. At the time I did not know that schizophrenia ran in my mother’s family and fueled their fears. In time the psychiatrist said I would find ‘flow’ (congruency) with my experience and the world. So, I learned that there was much more beyond my understanding of ‘truth’ and it seemed to be leaning toward being everywhere I looked.

I recently visited Dr. Abell on a whim while visiting my family. I dropped by to see if he remembered me and to give him signed copies of my books. I was in luck and only had to wait a couple of hours. He only works one day at week at 77, and I happened to show up that day. Well, he didn’t remember me. We did have a wonderful peer to peer conversation, sharing some stories of what we’ve found in our explorations. It only took 37 years. 🙂

It took a couple of decades to get the picture focused a little bit better through a starting a family, a cross-country move landing in Phoenix, Arizona, and a professional career that took me into many different industries. Metaphysical experiences were even more profound during this period and I feel they even helped to drive a wedge between my wife and I, eventually resulting in our divorce after 12 years of being together and birthing four beautiful children. Releasing emotional attachment to that whole scenario was the most difficult experience I’ve had, yet the essence of it has guided my life continually. I know that all things are connected, we just need to understand how and that emotional attachments are vastly different from ‘connections.’

I had and still have many questions regarding this supposed ‘mission’ I have been given. How was this ‘facilitation of a new world order’ all going to come to fruition? What are the ethical and moral considerations for engaging others? My professional background has become fairly extensive yet pales in comparison to those I hold as icons and leaders in various professional fields. As professional opportunities presented themselves, I began to conceptualize an environment that would demonstrate leading edge technologies in all fields and how they would work together in harmony with people and planet. It had to include every best practice and element of a global community on a micro-community scale.

Eventually the plan began to develop with enough detail that I could at least write an overview of the project, eventually becoming Genesis II. Some years later I met with Carl Bimson, a 91 year-old founder of a bank in Arizona, to share our Genesis II plan. He still had an office in the Valley National Bank building in downtown Phoenix and was available to talk with people by appointment. Mr. Bimson thought it was well thought out and suggested I go find the pieces. Quite unexpectedly, he then went on to explain how his wife’s psychic gifts and card readings had helped tremendously in his business and banking career. What a shock that conversation was… He and two brothers facilitated about 70% of the business development in the progress of Arizona’s growth.

After some time of considering Carl’s advice, I began my Master of Business Administration in project management in 1994 to continue the process of finding the pieces and knowing what to do with them when I did. Now, after achieving certification as a Hypnotherapist and in my second master’s program, I seek to continue the plan and assemble an organizational plan, including all necessary policy development, organizational duties and responsibilities, and management philosophy that will empower the assemblage of a team of dedicated professionals to take Genesis to the next level of development.

Meanwhile, we continue to develop Be The Dream (.biz, .com, .info, .net, .us, .ws – .org is now part of the Global Peace Youth Org and their Be The Dream Campaign honoring the 50-year anniversary of Dr. King’s speech.), our bridge of nonprofit and for profit endeavors, as an exemplary leader on the Internet through demonstrating the concepts of the community in a micro-economic environment. In a sense we are connecting the dots of commerce, education and community through our Cultural Creative ways. Ideas and visions need to have creative outlets, which meant that I had to learn a new skill – web development. What is interesting is that I truly have no idea how these concepts will accepted, let along embraced, by the corporate and/or philanthropic community. I am just a guy with ideas and a vision.

Over the years our values, morals and ethics moved us toward much development work and are we beginning to seek out potential backers and investors for the project. My personal ethics statement applies to the intrinsic dynamic of these projects, empowering results in our quest for success. Even though I’ve done extensive reading on a variety of subjects dealing with the socialization processes, actualizing these endeavors is proving to be quite the challenge, necessitating reflection on my personal code of ethics regularly. Am I really cut out for this? How do I/we engage others and fulfill their needs in the participative process? It is in this process that I am able to facilitate collaborative efforts in larger groups with others who have similar or congruent ethics and are doing something in their community about sharing them?

This will continue to be a great challenge and hopefully secondary priorities will become less distracting and invasive. Faith in ‘doing the right thing’ is imperative throughout the process. I have learned that my own concept of ‘time’ and fruition is often incongruent with the ‘divine’ timing and I am reminded of the need for humility, releasing my personal criticisms of where I ‘should’ be now and allowing the faith and trust in the process to resolve all concerns. It becomes more apparent as we grow older that cleaning up, clearing up, and moving on with refined moral and ethical behavior is the key to success…. everywhere.

Now, having joined with a compatible life partner, we have launched into this program together in order to ‘force’ ourselves to take the next steps in making our dreams reality. I moved on from education to Life Coaching as my ‘next-step’ in acquiring the skills necessary to help bridge inner and outer worlds in others. My partner is currently teaching gifted children in district school. We both tend to need to be in positions where we are compelled to do what is necessary because it is a requirement of the process. Some people work best that way. It seems that most successful people also follow this pattern of creating situations where they have to perform, meet deadlines and rise above the pack to achieve their dreams.

Everything turns out to be a process as time goes on. Utilizing the Internet to help ‘spread the word’ will undoubtedly meet with mixed results. As much as I have learned and know there is much more that I do not. I feel awed and inspired by this discovery process, engaged by the thrill of the next event. I have to rely on serendipity to move this project forward, where patience is a primary factor. I’m encouraged by the personal involvement and visionary efforts of a growing number of concern planetary citizenry, addressing the basic ethical and moral decisions within the scope of service to self and service to others. My hopes are that through this Master of Arts in Organizational Management program I will find more ways to make things real, practical and pragmatic, and continue to grow personally and professionally.

This paper was originally written in 2002 for Leadership 520 – Organizational Ethics, while enrolled in the Master of Arts in Organizational Management program at the University of Phoenix in Arizona. Additions are italicized.